I Love Lucy

The Simple Reason I’ve Stopped Allowing Comments on the Blog…

November 17, 2022 By Joi

Roger Moore: What a Saint!

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EDIT (11/18/22): Since writing the below post, Twitter has begun having a few issues (rumors of problems and something odd going on today!). If it goes south, I will absolutely turn comments back on, as it will at least be one way we can all stay in touch and have conversations about our beloved actresses, actors, films, and television shows! ~ Joi (“Joy“)

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First of all, if you want to contact me about anything (a post, photo, book review, or even opinion I have/express), I am completely reachable – either by e-mail or Twitter. I absolutely LOVE hearing from others who love old Hollywood and classic television as much as I do. I made a friend several years back simply because she initially e-mailed me asking what my favorite Marlene Dietrich films were. We’ve continued e-mailing back and forth for three years. Many other friends I’ve made on Twitter and can’t imagine a single day without them.

Lesson of the story, when you open the lines of communication with me (my name’s Joi…. “Joy” by the way), you’re stuck with me for good.

So why would a friendly, people person do something as unheard of as turning off comments on her blog?!

Please hang with me while I try to explain…

Let’s set the stage…. I am, by nature a ridiculously positive, upbeat, bright-side, sort of person. Kind of a compilation of Mary Poppins, Joy from the movie Up, and Lucy Ricardo (if you think it’s tricky dealing with me, imagine my poor family). It is what it is and, given that I’m on the kicks and giggles side of 50 years old, there’s ZERO chance I’ll ever change.

I like positivity. I’m drawn to positivity. I ooze positivity. But it’s more than that… I’m downright negativity intolerant.

Makes my psyche itch.

Due to the fact that… well, let’s face it… there aren’t a lot of Mary Poppins meets Joy meets Lucy Ricardo hybrids out there (save your “thank God” thoughts, you’ll hurt my feelings), comment sections can range anywhere from…

… (insert random actor) cheated on his wife and neglected his family
… (insert random actress) wasn’t at all talented.. she only got by on her (insert body parts)
… (insert random star) said such-and-such, I hate them for that
… (insert random star) did (insert perceived wrong against humanity)

Okay, you get the idea. I also hate it when people make comments about a star’s sexual preferences. I always think, “Okay, it’s your business why exactly?”

I put time, money, effort, and great passion into Hollywood Yesterday (as well as my Twitter page) and it is with one goal in mind: To keep the wonderful stars and films I love so much alive and shining.

I get a HUGE kick out of seeing stars from Old Hollywood “trending” on Twitter. You know what that means, right? A part of them never left us. Come on, how magical is that?!

Why would I want to share a photo, film review, book review, or quote to LIFT UP and SHOWCASE a star simply to have a Negative Nancy or Donnie Downer show up with some mud to sling on their name.

When it comes to always focusing on the positives, a few other things are ALWAYS in the back of my mind…

How horrible would it be to have negative, ugly things said about you when you aren’t even around to either defend yourself, apologize, or explain yourself? Stars who are no longer with us have NO way to say, “I never said that… here’s what I actually said..” or “I was drunk when I said that horrible thing and it does NOT represent what I really think.” or “I was young and dumb and I am so very, very sorry for the pain I caused (insert wronged individual or individuals).” It just seems cruel, in many ways, to take shots at someone incapable of deflecting them or firing back!
Mistakes should not identify us or follow us around. I’m… on most days anyway… human and I have made mistakes and I would HATE to have said mistakes brought up EVERY SINGLE TIME my name was mentioned. Some people LIVE to bring up ugliness each time a star is mentioned… haven’t figured out what they get out of it, but it’s true. There are movies, actors and actresses who I used to pause before Tweeting about or blogging about because I knew some wouldn’t be able to (or even try to) help themselves. They see a photo of someone and something goes off inside their mind… “OH! Gotta let this ugliness out! Can’t contain it!” I often wonder if they search for certain star’s names simply to sling mud. Stupid hobby if you ask me.
Stars from old Hollywood and classic television have families and friends who are very much online. One of my favorite things about having an old Hollywood blog and Twitter is hearing from people – all of you. Every now and then I hear from a family member or someone who knew one of the stars who I think so much of. I heard from a lady about her (actor) father a few years ago and it occurred to me, “If my dad (or anyone else I loved dearly) had been a star, how would I want him talked about?” What we say online can be seen by someone’s daughter, son, wife, grandchild, close friend, etc… Personally, it would feel like a punch in the gut to read something unkind about one of my loved ones. Everyone is free to approach life in the way he/she chooses, but I’m not in the habit of giving out gut-punches.

That’s it. I just wanted to let you know why (on the blog) I don’t have comments activated any longer and why (on Twitter) I don’t reply to unkind comments. I see the comment, I read the comment.. I just don’t have anything to add to the conversation.

One final thought about Twitter… I welcome (and love!) everyone’s comments and would never dream of telling anyone what they can or cannot say under my Tweets or on their own account. I have only blocked three people on there: (1) Someone who had me blocked for some reason… I simply repaid the honor. (2) A woman who replied, “Yuk!” LITERALLY after every tweet I made about a Western! Seriously! I mean.. was she a gunslinger in a past life who can’t stand the sight of Marshall Dillon or what? Given that it’s my favorite genre of movies (grew up watching them with the beloved dad I mentioned above), I talk about Westerns a lot on Twitter and simply got tired of her nonsense. (3) A clown who said something snarky after any and every Tweet that wasn’t what he considered “related enough” to old Hollywood. My account, buddy, I’ll share pictures of my cats and grandbabies any dang time I want to! Saying something under a photo of a grandbaby is an instant block.

I will hasten to say this, I am NOT at all talking about someone saying they don’t like someone’s acting style, a particular movie, or even liking a particular star or genre. Everyone has their own opinions and that makes life extra fun! You know what I’m talking about, right? The unnecessary ugliness.. when things are taken too far and the comments are too personal. I simply don’t like seeing any of it – if that makes me wrong, I’m honestly okay with that!

I’ll put on an episode of I Love Lucy or a favorite Western and get on with my day.

I hope the rest of your week is extraordinary! ~ Joi ( Pronounced “Joy…” some things can’t be made up!)

Lucille Ball, I Love Lucy

A Beautiful Legend was BOTD in 1911 in Jamestown, New York

August 6, 2021 By Joi

Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball – Behind the Scenes of I Love Lucy

Lucille Desiree Ball was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. Little did anyone know then that this tiny baby would one day become both the face of television and one of the most beloved stars EVER.

Lucille Ball is one of those stars (and lifelong personal favorites) that, when I’m writing about her, I truly struggle to find words. Words are some of my closest friends and, yet, when talking about Lucille Ball, they all but abandon me.

I think one of the things is, in many ways, she seems almost like family. After all, she was in our living room for as long as I can remember and is, to this day, a very frequent guest in our den and kitchen. Heck she’s even shown up in the bathroom a time or two.

When you have favorite stars who have been with you all of your life, you realize that they’ve “seen you” through everything you’ve been through – good or bad.

When I was in school, I had to miss a lot of days each school year due to my bronchial asthma. It was like clockwork, each October, I would get a terrible bout of bronchitis and end up in the hospital, followed by a week or more of recovering at home. Episodes of I Love Lucy were my constant companion and laughing at them gave me consistency my lungs robbed me of.
When I got married, Lucy, Ricky, Ethel, and Fred came along on our honeymoon.
When my husband and I moved out of state and I was homesick for my mom, dad, cat, dog, and hometown… Lucy came to my rescue again.
When my daughters came into the picture, it was their time to grow up with a familiar hilarious redhead as a frequent houseguest!
After losing my dad and, then, years later, my mom – episodes of I Love Lucy truly helped me hold it all together when it really didn’t seem possible.

Good times, bad times, great times, horrific times… she has been a constant. If that sounds normal to you.. then you, too, have a star (or possibly even an athlete) that means an awful lot to you.

She was extraordinary in every way and, truth be told, I don’t just love Lucy… I adore her.

Happy Heavenly birthday and thank you so much for all you’ve meant and MEAN to me!

Lucille Ball

Backstage DRAMA Behind the World’s Best COMEDY…

January 17, 2020 By Joi

Vivian Vance, William Frawley, Desi Arnaz, and Lucille Ball

One of the all-time most loved shows in the world had more than it’s share of backstage drama. Jess Oppenheimer, one of the writers of I Love Lucy gave a firsthand account of some of the drama behind my personal favorite television show of all time:

“Even though the entire world loved I Love Lucy, everyone on I Love Lucy didn’t love everyone else on I Love Lucy. Luckily…all the interpersonal problems didn’t show through the performances. Lucy and Desi were having a whole set of domestic problems, which ended in their divorce; Vivian couldn’t stomach Bill (William Frawley), mainly because she failed to understand how anyone could believe she was married to “that old man”; Bill reacted in typical fashion, referring to her figure as “a sack of doorknobs”; and Desi and I had a running series of spats, mostly ticked off when I picked up the trade papers and found he had taken credit for something I had done. But, luckily (again), it could not be seen on the screen, and there was no blowup which destroyed the team.”

I am, by nature, a Mary Poppins type blended with a great deal of Suzie Sunshine…. with a touch (okay a lot) of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. Can’t help it, I was made this way. With that being the case, I almost didn’t publish this quote because I was afraid it would cast a negative light on stars I love a great deal – worse, yet, stars that aren’t with us to stand up for themselves!

However, I decided to publish it because, quite frankly, I am in AWE of the television magic these four stars (and directors, as well as writers) pulled off under these circumstances. Think about it – would you be able to make all happy and funny with a spouse you were in the middle of divorcing??

Would you be able to keep smiling and find a way not to cry when your marriage was crumbling?

Would you be able to work day-in day-out with someone you couldn’t even tolerate?!

I don’t know about you, but I have to answer NO to all of the above. I’m not made of nearly strong enough stuff to overcome any of that emotional turmoil.

Yet, these four stars rose above all the noise, all the drama, and all of the emotions and turned in one flawless performance after another.

I also published the quote for another reason… I trust my readers to know that one person’s quote does not make his or her opinion or account the gospel. It makes it their opinion or their “side.” If Desi were here, today, he may well have a whole other version.

In the end, they were all humans (just ridiculously talented humans!) and where there are humans, there are problems. I still maintain that these four did a super-human job of maintaining their maturity and professionalism when so many (raising my hand) wouldn’t have been able to.

I, for one, am thankful for their strength every single day because this series means more to me than I can even say.

Review: Ball of Fire – The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball by Stefan Kanfer

February 20, 2018 By Joi

Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball by Stefan Kanfer

One of my favorite pastimes, hobbies, and passions is reading old Hollywood biographies, memoirs, and autobiographies. I’m absolutely obsessed with them. When they happen to be about one of my personal favorites, I can barely make myself put the book down. I devour each word (often twice) and study the pictures as though I’m searching for hidden clues.

Lucille Ball is one of my favorite television actresses… movie actresses…stars.. comedians.. oh, heck, she’s one of my favorite humans to ever draw breath. Let’s just leave it at that. I read everything about her that I can get my hands on.

Ball of Fire is the latest Lucille Ball biography I’ve read and it’s easily one of the best.

From the Back Cover:

As a movie actress Lucille Ball was, in her own words, “queen of the B-pluses.” But on the small screen she was a superstar – arguably the funniest and most enduring in the history of TV. In this exemplary biography, Stefan Kanfer explores the roots of Lucy’s genius and places it in the context of her conflicted and sometimes bitter personal life.

“Elegant, entertaining… engaging and immensely readable. – The Boston Globe”

Ball of Fire gives us Lucy in all her contradictions. here is the beauty who became a master of knock-down slapstick; the control freak whose comic alter ego thrived on chaos; the worshipful TV housewife whose real marriage ended in public disaster. Here, too, is an intimate view of the dawn of television and of the America that embraced it. Charming, informative, touching, and laugh-out-loud funny, this is the book Lucy’s fans have been waiting for.

A delightful… Encyclopedia Lucytania, guiding us through every possible detail of the woman’s history and legacy. – San Francisco Chronicle

Lucille Ball Fans: This Has to be the Next Book You Read

If you love Lucy like I love Lucy (sorry, I had to), you’ll want to read this book cover to cover, possibly twice. While we’ve all known and celebrated the fact that Lucille Ball was one of the most beautiful, talented, and gifted stars Hollywood ever saw, this great book is a reminder of the strength this lady possessed. When you read about everything she had to overcome (and remind yourself that this was a time when feminine strength wasn’t celebrated as it is today), you realize that she never simply waltzed into stardom, she kicked, scratched, and clawed every step of the way.

Needless to say, that makes her fans love her even more.

While I love everything about this book, one of the things that stands out to me is the fact that the author doesn’t try to “steer” the facts toward any set narrative. As a fan of many actors and actresses from Old Hollywood, I have to say that this would be difficult (if not impossible) for me. If, say, I were writing a biography of any of my favorite stars, I’d want desperately to show them at their best on each page of the book. I’d steer everything in a preconceived direction… Happy Town, U.S.A.

Warts? Not a one. Negative actions? Never! How dare you ask? Promiscuous? I should say not!

See why I don’t write biographies… everyone would come off like a choir boy or Sunday school teacher. To be able to give an accurate, beautifully rounded portrait of an individual takes a lot of talent and, I’d wager, self-control. As an avid reader of Old Hollywood biographies, I’m overjoyed that such authors exist. After all, none of us expect our favorite stars to have been perfect – even the men and women (except for One) in the Bible weren’t perfect!

It’s the imperfections we identify with – the weaknesses that we love seeing them overcome and the demons we love seeing them defeat. It makes them more real to us and makes us love them even more. Author Stefan Kanfer does a beautiful job of showing complete respect to Lucille, Desi, William Frawley, Vivian Vance, and the many other household names who “guest starred” in our favorite Lucy’s life.

Unlike some biographers, he doesn’t fixate on a star’s less-than-perfect traits but he doesn’t gloss over them as a certain Old Hollywood blogger we know would have done. *Raises hand with guilt on her face

This particular biography gives us a beautiful look at the mesmerizing life of Lucille Ball – from her earliest days to her last days. While it would be impossible to give the totality of a life within one book, Mr. Kanfer comes alarmingly close. I feel like I know her better after this book than I did before and, as someone who truly adores Lucille Ball, I will forever be thankful for that.

I Love Lucy Fans: Consider this a MUST READ BOOK

As a Lucille Ball fanatic, I’m sure you won’t be the least bit surprised to know that I can recite episodes of I Love Lucy along with the stars. I know what they’re going to say right before they say it and yet laugh each time as though it were the first time. That’s the magic of the stars, the writers, and everyone involved. While Ball of Fire (obviously) focuses on arguably the greatest comedic talent of all time, herself, there is gold… and a lot of it… for fans of I Love Lucy.

Even I read stories about casting (William Frawley, Vivian Vance, and memorable guest stars) in Ball of Fire I’d never heard… and I was pretty sure I was a walking/talking/coffee-chugging I Love Lucy encyclopedia! I honestly don’t want to give anything away, here, because I want you to read the book for yourself and be just as surprised and delighted with each turn of the page. I will say this, however – I’ve always known that Desi Arnaz deserves more credit for his acting and comedic genius. After reading Ball of Fire, I realize that he deserves A LOT more credit for the success of the series. He was more active behind the scenes than most of us would have ever guessed and he may have had one of the greatest eyes for casting of all time.

He was more than just a source of facial expressions for Lucy’s antics or verbal expressions for Lucy’s humor – he was one of the driving forces behind the series. I desperately want to find a read a biography of Desi Arnaz after reading Ball of Fire because it has caused me to be even more of a fan of this complex, talented, diverse, and often complicated man.

I only wish this particular author would write such a biography!

As I said, I refuse to give any of the wonderful details or stories away but I want to implore you again… if you’re a fan of I Love Lucy, you’ll love the amount of time devoted to the series. I read and reread the pages and am looking forward to pulling out my dvds and finding the episodes mentioned. The Grape-Stomping episode will be one of the first I re-watch!

I’d better move along before I DO give something away.

Ball of Fire is, As Much as Anything a Love Story

Not only is this book, at heart, a love story – it’s one of the best love stories you’ll ever read. When I read (pages 63-65) about the first time Lucille an Desi met, I literally had goose bumps. Now, I know the word literally is overused and misused these days but trust me – I’m neither overusing or misusing. I legit had goosebumps as well as a lump in my throat. The feelings would return (often along with teary eyes) when the author talked about Lucy’s desire to have children, when the marriage began (and continued) to unravel, and when both Desi and Lucille died.

The love these two gifted stars shared for one another was absolutely palpable. When you read the book, it becomes more clear than ever that Lucille and Desi were soulmates, just as Lucy and Ricky were. Sadly, soulmates don’t always go the distance with one another – especially when Hollywood is concerned. Hollywood is like a whole other world and very few couples navigate it from start to finish hand in hand. I’m convinced that, had they lived in any other place, they’d have made it.

Finally….

As I’ve said many times on Hollywood Yesterday, old movies, classic television, and Old Hollywood biographies are part of my DNA. I love for an author to take me on a journey where I’m able to spend time with current favorites and meet stars who I become so smitten with, they often go on to become favorites. A notable star this happened with was Carole Lombard. Her name kept popping up in various biographies (Lucille Ball, Ginger Rogers….) and she was always such a scene-stealer that I sought out more information about her. I found that she was, indeed, beautifully colorful and wonderfully full of life. She, along with other household names (Clark Gable, Ginger Rogers, Claudette Colbert, etc) are here in Ball of Fire – woven into the fabric that is the magical life of Lucille Ball. They add to the mystique and heighten the magic.

What more can I say? This is a breathtaking book and I really hope you read it as soon as possible. Ball of Fire is available on Amazon.

I Love Lucy Blanket: Nothing But Sweet Dreams for Lucy Fans

October 4, 2017 By Joi

It’d be pretty cool if I could stop seeing things I WANT on Amazon while doing my Christmas shopping! Kind of defeats the purpose, you know?

There I was, making like one of Santa’s elves, shopping for a great-looking throw for one of my three daughters when I was sidetracked by Lucy’s adorable face… multiple faces of Lucy. Naturally I had to click on the picture and take a better look.

I mean, who can blame me? It’s Lucy and we all know I’m obsessed with all things Lucille Ball.

The I Love Lucy Blanket pictured above features some of Lucy’s most memorable expressions. When you watch as many I Love Lucy episodes as I do, you can identify each one as quickly as you can identify your own fingers.

With Lucy, Lucille Ball created the most iconic television character of all time. As well as the most lovable, most hilarious, and most beautiful.

I Love Lucy Blanket

Officially Licensed
Hand Printed in the USA using a Dye Sublimation Process that creates slight imperfections over seams and folds.
100% Polyester 36″ X 58″
Front Side Print Only With A Blank Bank

See I Love Lucy Blanket for more information.

I Love Lucy Dolls on Amazon… One of Each, Please

August 30, 2017 By Joi

Like all fans of Old Hollywood, I have my own personal favorites from the Golden Era. You can pretty much tell my absolute favorites simply by looking around Hollywood Yesterday. See an abundance of Lucille Ball, Audrey Hepburn, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Barbara Stanwyck, Abbott and Costello, Westerns, and Musicals? There’s a reason for that.

I never learned how NOT to play favorites.

Some favorites come and go (depending upon the last seen movie, the mood, the weather..) but Lucille Ball has been an absolute favorite for as long as I remember. Just looking at pictures of this remarkable actress makes me smile.

There’s simply a special place in my heart for Lucille Ball. Maybe it’s because I grew up watching her so often that she feels like family. Maybe it’s because my favorite thing to do in the world is laugh and her favorite thing to do in the world seems to have been to MAKE people laugh.

Maybe it’s because, while beautiful, she didn’t have to rely on that alone. Maybe it’s because she dared to go where few women had gone before and risked everything in the process.

More than likely it’s a combination of each of these things.

Whatever the reasons, I love Lucy as much as anyone loved or loves Lucy. Books, mugs, calendars, dolls, mementos… I love to surround myself with anything and everything dedicated to this wonderful actress and comedienne. The dolls in this post?

Let’s just say I’m ready, willing, and able to give them a forever home right now. In fact, I’ll just go ahead and clear a few shelves right now.

Click through the links or the images to read more about these beauties.

The Lucy doll pictured at the top of the post was inspired by the I Love Lucy episode, “Lucy Tells the Truth.”

The adorable Lucy Gets in Pictures Doll (on the left, in the pink dress) celebrates the episode of the same name (“Lucy Gets In Pictures”) which originally aired on February 21, 1955. Get a load of them lips, man!

There is also a hilarious I Love Lucy Ballet Doll which is, as you’d imagine, “posed” for trouble. Let’s face it, how we love Lucy best!

This was definitely one of the funniest I Love Lucy episodes. Any episode that allows the beautiful redheaded clown to reign supreme is a can’t-miss.

Finally, we have the Lucy Vitameatavegamin Doll, paying tribute to one of the most memorable episodes ever.
I re-watched (for possibly the eleven-billionth time) the Vitameatavegamin episode recently and she left me speechless. Her comedic timing was completely and utterly flawless. She had a one-in-a-million knack for allowing the writing to shine through. She never over-sold anything or tried to outshine anyone… she simply did that by showing up!

She really was one of a kind.

Speaking of Vitameatavegamin….

Lucy and Desi: Before I Love Lucy

August 23, 2017 By Joi

Lucille and Desi met in May of 1940 in a Hollywood studio commissary while having lunch. They were introduced to one another by a director, George Abbott, who was working with Desi.

Lucille was dressed up like a burlesque queen for a role in “Dance, Girl, Dance“- complete with a black eye courtesy of stage make-up.

“I didn’t like her at first. She looked awful. Very tough.” – Desi

Later in the day, they met again. Not only had she lost the black eye, Lucille had changed into a yellow skirt and cashmere sweater.

Desi turned to a studio employee and in his heavy Cuban accent said, “Wot a hunk o’ woman!”

Desi asked her out and they fell in love almost immediately.

The big wigs at the studio didn’t want them to marry, claiming that it would hurt their careers. Fortunately, love won out and on November 30, 1940 (just 6 months after meeting) they got married at 10:00 am by a Justice of the Peace in Greenwich, Connecticut.

“I threw away all my conservativeness and took the plunge because I loved him. It was the most daring thing I ever did. Hollywood gave our marriage six months. I gave it six weeks.” – Lucy

“I Love Lucy” was based on a popular radio program Lucille was in called “My Favorite Husband.” She played the role of the wife, with Richard Denning playing the “favorite husband.” Denning is better known for his role as the mayor in a 12 year stint on Hawaii 5 O.

CBS loved the radio show and wanted to develop it into a tv program, with Lucille and Richard as the married couple.

Lucille wanted Desi to be her on-air husband, but the network tried to convince her that audiences wouldn’t believe that she and Desi would make a logical married couple.

She, naturally, responded with, “What do you mean nobody’ll believe it?! We ARE married!”

However the network and the advertising agency weren’t buying it. They really didn’t even want to consider Desi in the role.

Lucille and Desi decided to “go out and test it” – see if people could accept them as husband and wife.

In April 1950, they formed Desilu Productions. All they needed was an act, so they put together a series of comedy routines involving a “movie star” who tries to join her bandleader husband’s act.

The act featured comedy dialogue by Lucy’s radio writers (and two of the future I Love Lucy writers), Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carrol, Jr. It opened on June 2, 1950 at the Chicago Paramount Theater and was a HUGE success.

Lucy would later say: “After the first show, Desi and I looked at each other in wild surprise, ‘Well, I guess we can work together after all. We’re on our way!’”

I Love Lucy: The Lost Pilot (Complete Episode)

August 21, 2017 By Joi

Synopsis: Ricky tries to keep Lucy away from auditioning for a TV show, but when a clown becomes unavailable, Lucy takes his place!

Opening Night of I Love Lucy: Lucy Thinks Ricky is Trying to Murder Her

October 25, 2016 By Joi

The first “I Love Lucy” show was filmed on a Saturday evening, September 8, 1951. It was titled “Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying to Murder Her,” and is considered by most to be one of the funniest from the whole shebang.

“I was scared to death when we did our first show. After all, I had done only two movies and wasn’t accustomed to working with one camera, much less with four of them. Lucy sensed that I was scared and went out of her way to set me at ease. She got me laughing so hard before my entrance that I didn’t have time to remember that I was so frightened.” – Vivian Vance

“All I remember about that night was trying to protect my stomach. Lucie had just been born by Caesarean section and I was wearing a huge bandage over my stomach. I was more concerned with that than anything else. When the laughs started coming, I was very relieved. I remember sayin, ‘Whew! It’s working.'” – Lucille Ball

Getting to Know Jay Novello

May 19, 2008 By Joi

You may not recognize the name Jay Novello, but I’m certain you recognize his very expressive face – from more places than you may realize.

This delightful character actor was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 22, 1904 to Italian parents – explaining why he learned to speak Italian before English. He died in 1982 from lung cancer, but we’re here to keep memories alive, and Jay Novello has provided us with some great material to draw from!

He has a very impressive filmography resume – having worked in just about every genre imaginable. He even played a Japanese spy in Adventures of Smilin’ Jack (1943). He is, however, best known for his work on television. Many people remember him as the scheming Mayor Lugato in “McHale’s Navy” (1962). Since I’ve never seen a single episode of McHale’s Navy, I’m not at all familiar with his work on the show. He did, however, appear on two series that I haven’t gone a day without watching since I can’t remember when: I Love Lucy and Andy Griffith.

He had several very memorable roles on I Love Lucy:

“Mario” in the episode titled Visitor from Italy (1956)
“Mr. Beecher” in the episode titled The Sublease (1954) – He was hilarious as the extremely nervous tenant who Lucy tries to scare off after Fred and Ethel Mertz put a classified in the paper.
Mr. Merriweather in the episode titled The Seance (1951) – As a highly strung man trying to contact “Tillie” on the other side.

He also left his mark on Andy Griffith:

Jay Novello showed more of his straight man side to the one and only Don Knotts in two classic episodes of Andy Griffith. In Guest of Honor, He played a thief who tricked Barney into thinking he was a hotel detective. He even convinced Barney that the actual hotel detective was the crook. In Otis Sues the County, he played the sleazy attorney, Neil Bentley.

You may also recognize him from Make Room for Daddy (1958), The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (as Carlos De La Marca in 2 episodes, 1957-1958), Zorro (5 episodes, 1958), The Donna Reed Show (1960), Wagon Train (1960), The Lucy Show (1962), Perry Mason (1962), The Untouchables (Gino Romaldi, 1963), My Three Sons (Vincenzo in an episode from 1966), Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. (2 episodes as Dr. Purdy, 1967-1969), Lassie (1968), Family Affair (3 episodes, 1969), Bonanza (2 episodes, 1965 and 1969), The Flying Nun (1969), Ironside (1971), The Mod Squad (2 episodes, 1969-1971), The Brady Bunch (as Mr. Martinelli in an episode from 1973), Kojak (1976), Chico and the Man (1976)…..

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to learn much about Jay Novello’s personal life. His wife’s name was Paticia and they had one daughter, Yvonne. One of my favorite ways to get a handle on someone is to read their quotes, but I haven’t been able to find even one. I’m still on the hunt, though, so check back.

Mr. Novello may have something to say and you wouldn’t want to miss it!